Press Release: STEEL MAGNOLIAS

An all-Female Ensemble of Powerhouse Vancouver Actors Share the Importance and Power of ‘Togetherness’ after Historic Pandemic Isolation.

Southern charm reigns in heartwarming and poignant tale of strength in solidarity through life’s joys and struggles

Vancouver, BC — In association with Boone Dog Productions, Metro Theatre celebrates the return of live theatre by co-presenting playwright Robert Harling’s warm and witty Steel Magnolias from September 25 – October 10, 2021. Featuring an all-female collective of Vancouver-based professional performers, this beloved story of camaraderie and fierce loyalty epitomizes Southern charm and unwavering strength in the face of triumphs and tragedies. Based on true events, and widely known for the hit film adaptation starring Julia Roberts, the timeless drama follows a young woman as she grapples with a life-altering medical diagnosis.

“Steel Magnolias is a powerful story about the healing nature of friendship — a poignant and timely message for those who are still feeling the costly effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” says actor and co-producer Lalainia Lindbjerg, who plays the matriarchal role of M’Lynn. “We all have an intrinsic need for deep, interconnected friendships; humans were never meant to live our lives alone! However, the restrictive social isolation that was imposed in the past 18 months has brought the mental health and well-being of Canadians to an all-time low. It is time that we come back together and celebrate community. Celebrate what we previously took for granted – a deep sense of belonging, togetherness.”

Based on the life of Harling’s younger sister, Susan, who passed away due to complications from Type 1 Diabetes, Steel Magnolias was originally written as a short story before being adapted into a highly acclaimed off-Broadway play in 1987. Two years later, the work was made into a Hollywood film, starring cinematic heavyweights Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Darryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis. A box office and critical success, the film garnered Roberts both a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Field in the Best Actress category, among other accolades.

The play opens on Shelby’s wedding day in small-town Louisiana, in the big-haired, “blush and bashful” hued era of the 1980s. Gathered in Truvy’s in-home beauty salon, we are quickly introduced to the quick-witted, dynamic cast of characters, including Shelby’s practical and protective mother, M’Lynn; the cantankerous Ouiser; observant former first lady Clairee; and the demure newcomer with a curious past, Annelle. A complex study of the power of female friendship, the salon-centred tale follows the six Southern belles through joys and struggles over the next three years.

As Shelby moves from newlywed to expectant mother, despite the risks associated with her Type 1 Diabetes, the women rally around M’Lynn, whose dread over her daughter’s health colours Shelby’s joyful announcement. And it is this deep bond that fortifies the women through their greatest hardship when Shelby soon succumbs to her illness not long after fulfilling her dream of becoming a mother. Together, the group discovers an innate sense of steely resilience to move forward in the face of life’s delicate fragility.

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Mirroring the real-world interactions of its all-female cast, many of whom have worked together on productions in recent years, Boone Dog Productions’ presentation of Steel Magnolias brings together a group of six luminary performers: Jaime Percy (Belle in Theatre Under the Stars’ Beauty and the Beast) as Shelby, Lalainia Lindbjerg (Winifred Banks in Theatre Under the Stars’ Mary Poppins) as M’Lynn, Cheryl Mullen (Bea in Hallmark’s With Love at Christmas) as Clairee, Keira Jang (Sophie in Theatre Under the Stars Mamma Mia!) as Annelle, Sheryl Anne Wheaton (Rosie in Theatre Under the Stars’ Mamma Mia!) as Truvy, and Chy (Dr. Freye in Superman and Lois) as Ouiser. 

Directed by acclaimed director and producer Shel Piercy (Timeless Pictures, Infinity Films, Theatre Under the Stars, Gateway Theatre), the play features set design by Francesca Albertazzi (head of design for the hit television show Love It or List It Vancouver, set designer for three seasons of Theatre Under the Stars) and costumes by award-winning costumer Christina Sinosich (Theatre Under the Stars, Gateway Theatre, Royal City) and wig designer/creator Donnie Tejani.

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR

When I was a kid my mother and her friends belonged to the Hillcrest Bowling League. Although they did bowl, more than anything the Hillcrest Bowling League simply gave a name to their unwavering support and care for each other on my mum’s team. They bowled every Thursday afternoon; that was stew night because my mum could make it in the morning and heat it up for dinner later.

The true glory of the Hillcrest Bowling League was the friendship these women shared. A friendship that extended well-beyond the narrow lanes of the bowling alley. Many a dinner at my house was interrupted because one of my mum’s “bowling friends” needed a hand. For the widows amongst them (there were two) my father was often sent on a mission to unplug a drain, or change a fuse or to drive someone somewhere for something. When they got together outside the bowling alley, often dragging husbands and children, laughter was served in heaping helpings. Sickness meant food was sent; groceries and prescriptions were purchased and delivered. They reached out to each other, relied on each other, loved each other. Unwaveringly.

When Lalainia told me of her plans to stage STEEL MAGNOLIAS I knew immediately I wanted to be part of the collective. I have always loved this story. Although it is a different era than my mother’s era, the spirit of friendship and support is exactly the same. In the play these six, fierce, powerful, and very real, women show us the true meaning of love.

This is a show with a protruding funny bone. The best kind of funny; the funny that comes from truth. The women in this play reflect those women in our society that we all admire. Strong, brave, loving, flawed. Their journey is the journey of life; inspiring in it’s friendship, its humour and ultimately its enormous heart.

We are blessed with an inspiring company of actors who layer in their own experiences as they create the wonderful characters in Robert Harlings play. There are no men in this world, just women. And they are going to blow you away.

This play is a story of love, a story of friendship. A story overflowing with the truth that lives in every human heart.

I can hardly wait for you all to see it!

Shel Piercy